


Set Up

by jeejaschocolate



Category: Free!
Genre: Affection, Body admiration, Developing Relationship, First Time Together, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Praise Kink, Rin's awkward attempts at being a wingman, Sex Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 18:05:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4574487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeejaschocolate/pseuds/jeejaschocolate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin catches Rei staring at him and Haru one day during swim practice. Believing that Rei is in love with Haru, Rin decides to be a good friend/wingman and set the two of them up together. But...he gets more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had this scenario in my head for a while. I figured Free! (being the thinly-veiled yaoi anime that it is) was the perfect medium for it. Plus I love this pairing (Rin/Rei, yes).
> 
> Is this trash? Probably. Do I hope you enjoy it? Absolutely!
> 
> For now, the rating will be for later chapters. Might go up, so be aware of that. (We all like our sexy times, am I right?)

Rin slammed his palms against the concrete wall of the pool. In one motion, he lifted his head out of the water and took a big gulp of air. This feeling, it always felt amazing to finish a race, even just a practice race. Especially when he swam alongside Haru, who was already pulling himself up and out of the pool to sit on the edge.  
  
Through gasps of breath, Rin regarded his friend smugly. “So, what do you think? How many seconds was that?”   
  
Haru’s cerulean eyes stared at the shimmering surface of the water. He seemed to have already caught his breath somehow. “We weren’t timing ourselves,” he replied.  
  
Rin ripped off his cap and goggles in frustration. Damn, now there was no way of knowing for sure who had won. Oh well, it was just for practice. Besides...  
  
The shark-toothed boy felt himself break out into a grin. “Well, I’m sure I won by at least half a second.”  
  
Darting his eyes over to Haru to see his reaction, Rin got a face full of water as his friend dove again into the pool to float comfortably on his back.   
  
“Whatever,” Haru answered, already drifting away. “I don’t swim for my time, anyway.”   
  
“Yeah, yeah, we know.” Rin laid down against the concrete to stare through the glass ceiling of the Samezuka pool.  
  
The sky looked as blue as the water, making Rin feel like he was floating softly. It was the same comforting feeling as being held up by the water’s surface. He sighed contentedly.  
  
“Thanks for coming here to swim today,” Rin said to Haru. “What’s everyone else up to?”  
  
“They’re busy probably,” Haru said vaguely.   
  
Without another word, the dolphin-like boy submerged himself and began swimming a graceful, carefree lap in his usual style. Rin could not help but stare. No one could deny how beautiful Haru was when he swam. Like he was just meant to be in water, as if that were his natural habitat.   
  
Damn lucky guy, Rin thought. Looking like that without even trying.  
  
Rin stretched his arms above his head, getting ready for another lap. He loved the feeling of his muscles tightening and then loosening, his body already tingling with the anticipation of being in the water. He broke out into goosebumps as he imagined being submerged again, same as always. The wetness on his skin shimmered in response.  
  
Throwing himself into the water in a formless dive, Rin caught sight of the far end of the pool. The Samezuka team did not have practice at the time, it was their day off. So the place was completely empty except for Rin and Haru. Or at least, Rin had assumed they were alone...  
  
Before his body hit the water, Rin’s eyes recognized a flash of reflected light in the corner of the pool, by the entrance to the locker rooms. That almost looked like...well, Rin knew exactly what it looked like.  
  
He thrashed around in the water for a few seconds before surfacing in a rush to stare back in that corner. Sure enough, Rin saw a glint of sunlight reflected off a pair of glasses, rather distinct glasses with red frames. He smiled as he recognized a mop of blue hair and the Iwatobi high school uniform. Rei was standing by himself in the corner, backpack in hand, looking like he was about to do something.   
  
Rin started to wave at his friend when he noticed a strange look in Rei’s eyes. The boy’s usual purple irises seemed to be eclipsed by his pupils. He was staring very fixedly at something, and had apparently lost awareness of himself in the process. His mouth hung slightly open and his limbs seemed frozen in mid-motion. Rin had certainly never seen Rei look like this before, so intensely focused, like his brain had for once drowned out all other thought to stare at---  
  
But what was he looking at? Rin glanced around the pool to see what it was that had transfixed his bookish friend. Rei seemed to be looking in their general direction. Was there something in the water? Rin looked down to see Haru unconsciously showing off a rather spectacular dolphin kick. His body rippled along with the motion, creating a picture of easy athleticism.   
  
Rin glanced back at Rei, and then back to Haru. He smirked, reading Rei’s full, undisguised face. There was a slight blush on those cheeks as well, no mistaking it.  
  
Well. That answered that question.   
  
Not many things could have caused Rei to lose control of his carefully constructed appearance. If anything in the world could, it had to be Haru’s beautiful swimming. And how attractive his friend’s body looked in the water.   
  
Unable to stop himself, Rin laughed out loud. The sound echoed off the walls of the pool and startled Rei out of his reverie. Coming back to himself, the bespectacled boy pushed his glasses up self-consciously, face turning crimson. He scrambled to the locker room door in confusion, dropping his backpack once by accident and tripping over it. His shaky limbs finally made their way to the door, where he opened it with careful slowness before he closing it behind himself with a polite click.  
  
Rin felt bad for laughing, but that was honestly hysterical. The look of a flustered Rei was something he would pay money to see again. Seeing it for the first time just made the rest of his day!  
  
Rin had already acknowledged that there was something undeniably likable about Rei; the way he held himself together so forcefully, still unable to hide the depth of his passion for everything he did. Rin liked having the guy around, even if Rei was the newbie in their group, technically his replacement. And a total nerd on top of it all.   
  
So, Rei was in love with Haru? That was...priceless, in a funny way, to think about Rei losing his stubborn battle against love as a concept, especially because of someone like Haru who couldn’t care less about anything. But it was also...endearing, kind of. Not that Rin was going soft! Hell no. More like, it warmed Rin’s chilly heart to think about Rei going gaga over his friend.   
  
They would probably make a cute couple. Haru and Rei, the swimming maniac and the theory nerd. It worked. Both of them were certainly attractive enough to compliment each other.  
  
Rin waited until Haru resurfaced to get his attention. “Hey,” he called to his friend. “Did you see that just now?”  
  
“See what?” Haru asked, wiping the water out of his eyes indifferently.   
  
“Oh, uh...nothing.” Rin turned away and pretended to fiddle with the strap on his goggles. Haru dove under the water again with a shrug.  
  
Rin licked his tongue over the pointed edges of his teeth. He had idea on how to make this work. After all, he owed Rei a little since that time he had let Rin swim in his place at regionals. Plus, he wanted to see his friends happy--especially Haru, who had little else in his life besides his love for swimming.   
  
Absolutely. He was more than willing to be a wingman for two of his good friends. It might even be fun for him!  
  
Grinning wickedly, Rin paddled out of the pool to catch up to Rei.  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
  
He found Rei rifling through his backpack in the locker room. What exactly was the kid looking for, anyway?  
  
“Yo!” Rin called out, making his presence known without any preamble.  
  
Rei jumped in response. His head whipped around to face his senpai, face still red. “Oh...Rin-san...”  
  
“That’s me.” Rin sauntered over to where Rei sat on the locker room bench. Putting his hands on his still-wet hips, Rin let himself tower over Rei on purpose. He had to have a little fun with the kid, this was supposed to be a good time after all!  
  
Catching the nervous look on Rei’s face, Rin smiled and leaned closer to him teasingly. Rei immediately shifted backward, farther away from him on the bench. Smiling wider, Rin followed him until Rei ran out of bench and had to accept Rin’s close proximity.   
  
They stayed like this for a little while, Rin thoroughly enjoying the way Rei’s hands shook as he nervously readjusted his glasses, causing them to sit more crookedly on his face than anything. The kid could not even look Rin in the eye.   
  
Here it was, more flustered Rei! This was turning into a very memorable day for Rin indeed.   
  
“Heh, are you nervous, butterfly?” Rin asked.  
  
“W-what are you...referring to...?” Rei managed, still not looking him the eye.  
  
Rin sat down on the bench, giving Rei a little space to breathe. “Well, you look nervous. And I think I know why.”  
  
Rei swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “I still do not know what you are referring to.”   
  
“I’m talking about how right now your hands are shaking and you’re blushing up a storm.” Rin smiled and crossed his arms. “Come on, don’t deny it! You know you are.”  
  
Giving in, the blue haired boy sighed. “I admit I am...not myself...at present. So, what of it?”  
  
“Oh, defensive!” Rin laughed again and leaned on his knees. “Not that I blame you. I probably would be too if I were you.” He let Rei squirm a little longer before saying clear as day, “You know, considering how you love Haru and all.”  
  
“I-I beg you pardon?” Rei’s voice was barely above a squeak.  
  
“You can’t deny this either! I saw you staring at him in the pool just now.”   
  
Rei scrambled to his feet. “I did no such thing!”   
  
“Look, it’s fine,” Rin said, leaning back to stare up at Rei nonchalantly. “I didn’t tell Haru or anything."  
  
“No but I--” Rei took a deep breath to steady himself, one hand on his chest. Rin could not help but notice what a delicate gesture that was for a man. He smiled at it. Kind of cute. “Rin-san. You are mistaken. I hold Haruka-senpai in very high esteem, but I see him as a good friend only. I do not know what you think you saw today, but I can tell you--”  
  
“Rei, come on.” Rin was ready to play hardball, if that’s what Rei needed to get him to admit how he felt. “I saw how you were staring at him. Hard to say that was anything but love on your face. I’ve never seen you stare so intently at something--at someone, I should say. Your mouth was hanging open and everything! Like you couldn’t see anyone but him.” Rin said the last part in a mocking way, like he was pretending to be dramatic and dreamy.  
  
Somehow Rei managed to turn an even darker shade of red at that. He even let out a small gasp--a quiet, overwhelmed sound. The younger boy looked like he wanted to cry.  
  
Rin frowned as he noticed tears welling up in his friend’s eyes. “Hey, Rei, come on, I’m telling you it’s fine. You don’t have to be embarrassed or anything, I’m just giving you a hard time--”  
  
“I’m not embarrassed!!” Rei shouted. He was clearly lying, but Rin was still taken aback at Rei actually raising his voice to him.   
  
They shared an uncomfortable silence after that, Rei’s voice still ringing in both their ears. Rin honestly did not know how to respond. Maybe this whole wingman thing had been a bad idea...  
  
Rei turned his back to Rin. The older boy could see his younger friend moving his hands across his face, under his glasses. Was he wiping his eyes---  
  
But before Rin could get a good look, Rei had turned back around to face him. He looked much more composed now, closer to his regular self. Some of that old forced confidence was back on his face.  
  
“I’m sorry for shouting, Rin-san. Like I said, I am not myself right now. I hope you’re not angry with me for reacting like that. Can we please just...drop this?”   
  
The pleading look on Rei’s face was enough that Rin almost did decide to drop it. Maybe Rei just was not ready to accept his feelings, maybe even accept his orientation or something... But then...  
  
No. Rin shook his head. If Rei was not ready to accept how he felt, then Rin would just have to help him! That’s what friends were for, helping each other through things they could not face on their own (swimming the relay had reminded him of that). This was especially true for Rin as Rei’s senpai. He wanted to be the kind of person Rei respected and could rely on when he needed help.  
  
“Sorry, I can’t drop it, Rei.”   
  
The younger boy’s face fell, violet eyes shimmering with emotion.  
  
Rin stood up to face his friend. “I’m telling you, the look on your face just now was as clear as day. What kind of friend would I be if I just let you go on hiding your feelings, never getting to share that with someone?” Rin sighed. “Seriously. From the way you looked, I can tell that Haru’s a lucky guy to have your attention.”  
  
It was the truth. The more Rin realized how sincerely Rei felt, the more he started to feel a little angry with Haru that his friend had not realized what was going on. Haru better wake up and pay attention to this kid, Rei was clearly a passionate person, even more so when he was in love! Haru would have to be an idiot to let that go.   
  
“Rin-san...” Rei murmured. He seemed at a loss for words.  
  
Now it was Rin’s turn to blush. Maybe he had gotten carried away with that speech. He had not meant to sound so...gushy just then. Or whatever. It was just that he wanted Rei to understand that he thought Rei’s feelings were impressive, something that deserved to be shared, anyway.  
  
Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Rin looked down at his feet for a moment. “Yeah, well, if you want to laugh at me for sounding like a bleeding heart romantic, go ahead. I deserve it for teasing you before.”  
  
Rei did not laugh. Rin glanced upward to read his friend’s face. The younger boy had his hand on his glasses, hiding a definite smile behind his palm. Still, Rin appreciated not being laughed at.  
  
“But I meant what I said!” The redhead continued. “And anyway, the whole reason I came to talk to you was to say that...well, I can help you hook up with Haru.”  
  
“...Hook up?” Rei asked, blushing slightly.   
  
“Um...yeah, I mean...” Damn, not a great choice of words. Now it was just awkward. “You know, like, I can help you guys get together.” Yikes, still awkward. Better just move on. “That’s...what you want, right?”  
  
Rei looked away for a moment. He began again, quietly. “Rin-san, I don’t think you fully understand...”  
  
“Just listen to what I have to say.” Rin was probably being too pushy, but he was invested in this now.  
  
Rei’s eyes met his. For a long moment, the younger boy looked completely torn. Then finally he said, “...Alright, Rin-san. What did you have in mind?”  
  
Finally, some success. Rin broke out into a happy smile. “Well, I know everything there is about Haru. I can tell you what he likes, how to talk to him, where to go when you confess to him, the whole thing. Oh, and uh, first tip: Don’t let Haru catch you staring at him like that. He’ll think it’s totally weird at first.”  
  
Rei’s eyes widened in shock and shame. “I’ll...be more careful...”  
  
Seeing that expression, Rin laughed. “Don’t worry, butterfly, it’s fine. I thought it was priceless. But, if you want to get to Haru, you have to get on his level. And he’s...pretty aloof, you know? Kind of stand-offish. So play it safe in the beginning.”  
  
Rei nodded along as Rin talked. It was comforting to see Rei finally relax a little about the whole thing, even if he was still incredibly stiff. But Rin just figured that was Rei’s personality. He was so uptight about everything...  
  
For a moment, Rin considered about what Rei would be like in a dating situation. Was he the type of guy who could go out to dinner and a movie? See a show? Other...dating things? (Rin was not too clear on the specifics of dating himself, in truth.) But what kinds of things did Rei like to do?  
  
Better find out first. Besides, Rin had to admit he was honestly getting curious to know about his young friend now that he had gotten under Rei’s skin a little bit.  
  
“By the way, where would you like to take Haru on your first date?”  
  
Rei met his gaze sharply and sputtered. “Wh-where would I...take...Haruka-senpai?”  
  
“Uh, yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.” Jeez, was Rei going to be slow like this the whole time?  
  
“W-well, I suppose I would...see what he, I mean, where he...Haruka-senpai...liked to go?”   
  
Listening to that completely unsure suggestion was almost painful. Rin shook his head. “No no no, that’s not what I’m saying. I can tell you where Haru likes to go, that’s the whole point of this! What I want to know is, where would you like to take him, if you had the chance? Just so I can get an idea, here.”   
  
“Um. Well.” Rei shifted his weight back and forth between his feet. “I honestly...never thought about it.”   
  
“Seriously?”   
  
“Yes.” Rei stared hard at his feet, as if embarrassed to admit that he had not even considered this.   
  
“Uh, okay...” Rin was starting to get a little confused. “But haven’t you ever thought about what it would be like if you and Haru were together?”  
  
“I...” Rei swallowed hard again. “Rin-san, I would...be more honest with you, except that I am very afraid of rejection.”  
  
Rin nodded. That made sense. “I get it. But like I said before, don’t worry, okay? I’m going to help you out.”   
  
Feeling suddenly like he wanted to reassure Rei more than anything, Rin wrapped his arms around Rei’s shoulders and pulled him in for a tight hug. Rei immediately froze in his arms. Rin, confused at first, could not help but take in the feeling of his young friend against his body. Was that his scent, that fresh soap smell? Or was that the mysterious deodorant that Nagisa claimed to have seen in Rei’s locker? It was surprisingly nice, considering how nondescript the scent was.   
  
Then Rin realized that he was still somewhat damp from the pool. No wonder Rei had frozen up.  
  
“Oh, sorry,” Rin said, pulling away quickly. “Guess I’m still a little wet, huh?”  
  
“Y-yes...” Rei said, readjusting his glasses for the millionth time. “But it’s...fine.”   
  
“Heh, okay... So listen, I’ve already got an idea of what we should do tomorrow. You’re free, right?”  
  
“Uh, right...” Rei seemed unsure, but he did not protest.  
  
“Good. So, why don’t the three of us go to the beach? That’s Haru’s favorite place, I guess. Perfect place to get things going.” Rin winked mischievously, causing Rei to gulp at the air.   
  
Well, not the smoothest start, Rin thought. But he was looking forward to seeing the look on Rei’s face once things really got going.


	2. Honesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Rei have a lot to realize about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Then there was this. Hope you enjoy, guys! (Explicit sex warning, go!)

“So why don’t we tell Rei about that time when Makoto had to carry you home from practice?”  
  
Rin, Haru, and Rei were sitting together on the shore, looking out into the calm afternoon sea. They had managed to set up this time together, but so far things had been very slow. Haru was his usual apathetic self, but Rei seemed almost too nervous to talk most of the time. That left Rin with the uncomfortable burden of carrying the conversation, and also trying to bring Rei into a positive light for Haru---two things he was not used to doing.  
  
Haru crossed his arms at Rin’s suggestion. “Fine,” he replied irritably.  
  
Rin laughed, legitimately excited to tell a story that would embarrass his friendly rival. He glanced over at Rei. The blue haired boy was running his hand over the surface of the sand. It seemed he was concentrating intently on the task, as if analyzing every grain of sand as it slipped through his fingers, but Rin knew better. Rei was just happy to have something else to stare at.  
  
Feeling awkward seeing Rei so unenthusiastic, Rin forced another laugh. “Oh yeah, it was hilarious that time, what happened was....”  
  
He launched into the story about their elementary school years, when Haru swam so much in one practice that he literally could not move afterwards. Rin truly cherished that memory. He hoped Rei thought it was as funny as he did.  
  
“Haha, yeah,” Rin rested back on the palms of his hands, tilting his face towards the sun. “Good thing Makoto was there to carry you home, Haru, or we would have just left you there!”  
  
“That would have been fine,” Haru said staunchly. “I have no problems sleeping in a pool overnight.”  
  
“True, night swimming can be fun. Right, Rei?” At this point, Rin was praying for a topic Rei could contribute to.  
  
And yet, for some reason, Rei began to blush fiercely. He clasped his hands together in his lap uncomfortably.  
  
“Rei’s version of night swimming is not so fun,” Haru cut in. His voice had an unfamiliar edge to it.  
  
“Huh?” Rin asked. “What do you mean?”  
  
The three boys were silent for a few moments. Rin glanced back and forth between his two friends. Clearly something had happened between them that Rin did not know about. Needless to say, Rin hated being left out of the loop.  
  
“So are you guys going to tell me about this or not?” Rin demanded, very annoyed. “Obviously something happened, and you better tell me what!”  
  
Rei sighed, the first one to break the silence. He looked over at Rin with a pained look in his purple eyes. He took a deep breath and said, slowly, “One night, when we were at training camp together, I went for a swim in the ocean. It was...unsafe. The water turned stormy and everyone had to...come get me.”  
  
“All of you went after him?” Rin asked Haru.  
  
The dolphin-like boy turned his head towards Rin. “Yeah, we all did. We were lucky no one got hurt.”  
  
Haru’s eyes cut sharply to Rei.  
  
The younger boy flinched as if Haru’s eyes had physically hurt him. “I was...being foolish.”  
  
Well, this couldn’t be any worse, Rin thought. Somehow they had managed to drag up Rei’s and Haru’s worst memories together. Pretty awful, all things considered.  
  
But, if they were at rock bottom then they could only go up! Rin decided he would start saying whatever came to his mind. Better to go by instinct with these kinds of things, thinking carefully through his wingman-ing had gotten them nowhere.  
  
“Well, I’m sure you had a good reason for going out there, Rei,” Rin said, nodding.  
  
“No, I was---” Rei sat up straighter and stared at Rin with a flustered look. “I was...I was trying to train so that I could keep up with Haruka-senpai, Makoto-senpai, and Nagisa-kun.”  
  
Haru clicked his teeth disapprovingly. “There is no good reason for swimming in the ocean at night.”  
  
“I know,” Rei replied with his head down. “I am...very sorry about what happened.”  
  
An unpleasant feeling crept over Rin. He was irritated. Wasn’t Haru being way too harsh on Rei, who probably had no idea of the risks at the time and just wanted to train at his limit so he would not hold back the team? Haru was being unfair about the whole thing, especially considering Rei’s perfectionist nature...  
  
“Well, I think you were brave going out there to train. Not many people are that dedicated, Rei.” The words were out of his mouth before Rin could think about how they sounded. But he did not regret saying that; it was how he felt.  
  
Rei glanced up at Rin, an unsure look in his eyes.  
  
“Bravery is stupid,” Haru said bluntly.  
  
“But working hard is smart. Besides, Rei became a great addition to the Iwatobi team---everyone at Samezuka says so. So, he must be doing something right.”  
  
Rin met Rei’s gaze and smiled at him. He wanted it to be a private smile between the two of them, a way to show that he meant everything he said. Rei was blushing fiercely, but he smiled back gently. Seeing that cautious, relieved smile made Rin’s heart beat faster in happiness. At least he managed to make Rei smile once this afternoon, even if everything else was a disaster. Rin decided to work his hardest to keep that smile there as often as he could. It was very attractive on Rei.  
  
That is, so that Haru could notice how attractive Rei was when he smiled. Rin turned suddenly back to his stoic friend, hoping that Haru had caught Rei’s cute expression and that he had finally realized how interesting their younger friend was.  
  
But Haru was looking out at the water. “Rei is great at the butterfly stroke,” he said automatically. “Our team needs him.”  
  
Then he stood up and started taking off his clothes. If Rei and Rin weren’t already friends with Haru, they might have been alarmed. But they knew he was wearing a swimsuit, more than ready to jump into the gentle water.  
  
“Are you guys going swimming?” Haru asked. He was over their last conversation and onto the part where they all got in the water. “That’s why we’re here, right?”  
  
Without waiting for an answer, Haru ran into the ocean at full speed. He was in up to his head and shoulders before Rei and Rin had a chance to move.  
  
Now that they were sitting alone together, Rin looked cautiously over at his younger friend. He wanted to reassure him, let him know that even though it looked like things weren’t going so well, that was just Haru’s nature. He never showed how much he appreciated a person, after all...  
  
“Thank you,” Rei said suddenly. “...for saying all those things about me.”  
  
Rei was looking down at the sand again. He was holding onto the rims of his glasses with one hand. But still, Rin could see a hint of that same bashful smile on his friend’s face. In response, Rin broke out into a grin.  
  
“No worries,” he said back. “It’s true, you know? You’ve probably worked the hardest out of anybody on that team. And it shows.”  
  
After hearing that, Rei slowly raised his head to look Rin in the eye. He wore an expression that told Rin he was trying to read his senpai’s thoughts, as if he wanted to see how truthful the older boy was being. Rin left his own face completely open. If Rei wanted to probe, let him see that there was nothing in Rin’s thoughts except genuine honesty.  
  
For some reason, though, it started to feel like Rei was looking at him...too intimately. Was Rei trying to see into his soul or something? Rin felt his cheeks getting hot, so he looked away awkwardly.  
  
It made no sense. Why was he the one getting embarrassed now? This was supposed to be about fixing up his two friends, and making Rei as flustered as possible in the meantime. Maybe Rei’s flustered nature was contagious or something....  
  
Rei cleared his throat and stood. He took off his clothes and joined Haru in the water. Watching the younger boy toe cautiously into the waves, Rin sighed in relief. He was happy that the moment had passed, whatever it was.  
  
Well, maybe this afternoon had been a good thing after all. At least Rei and Haru were splashing around happily together. Rin knew it would be good if he joined them, but now he just...didn’t feel like it.  
  
The red haired boy gathered his things and walked off the beach without saying goodbye to his friends. He knew that was rude, but so what. Right then he just needed to be alone. Take a nap, get some food or something. He felt off all of a sudden.  
  
Had Haru seen Rei’s smile? Rin found himself wishing that Haru had not. Probably, there would be other smiles for Haru, but Rin wanted one that he could say he had caused himself.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________  
  
  
The next day, Rin let Gou drag him to the mall. He still wanted a day to himself to think about things, work out what he was going to do about setting up Rei and Haru, decide how he...felt about all that. But Gou was intimidating when she pleaded, and so he had no choice but to follow her out of the house.  
  
Now the two of them were wandering around the department store. Gou had run off on her own almost immediately after they arrived together, so Rin had been walking around by himself for a while. He tried to get interested in things he usually liked (food stalls, new manga releases, clothes), but nothing really got his attention.  
  
He found himself in the swimwear section, as if his legs had taken him there with a mind of their own. Instinct always guided him best, he thought with a smile. A new swimsuit might cheer him up. He had been looking for something to help him train for the next tournament...  
  
After flipping through the selections on the rack, Rin found a few things he was ready to try on. He made his way over to the fitting rooms. On his way over though, he heard a telltale giggle that made him stop in his tracks.  
  
“Oh, Haru-chan! Why can’t you find something in a different style? Yes, Mako-chan, that looks perfect on you!”  
  
Rin could clearly make out Nagisa’s voice over the entire store, but from the conversation he guessed that the Iwatobi group was trying on swimsuits as well. Realizing that, Rin’s first instinct was to drop his suits onto the floor and run out. After thinking about how embarrassing it would be if anyone saw him do that, he decided to approach slowly. The best thing to do was to watch them secretly from a distance until they left, so he could then go into the fitting rooms without running into them. That was the...dignified thing to do. Kind of. (Why was this so painfully difficult? he thought.)  
  
Luckily, Rin found a tall rack of towels that he could hide behind with a perfect view of the fitting rooms. He quickly got behind it, making sure he was completely undetectable from the view of the fitting room stalls.  
  
As he watched, Makoto opened the curtain on his stall. The lanky boy wore a knee-length pair of racing trunks, his usual style. He was shaking his head. “Nagisa, don’t you know better than to question Haru-chan’s taste in swimsuits?” he asked jokingly.  
  
While the two of them bantered, Rin looked around for Haru and Rei. He had not seen or spoken to them since the day before when he had left them at the beach unceremoniously. Were the two of them missing...together...? Did that mean...?  
  
Rin ground his teeth at the thought. Where were those two, anyway?  
  
As if on cue, the curtain in the stall next to Makoto’s opened. Rei stood in the stall wearing the tiniest speedo Rin had ever seen---not only that, the speedo was bright purple with...sparkly butterflies on it. Immediately Rin wondered how that was even available for sale.  
  
“Nagisa-kun, why did you tell me to put this on?” Rei asked, holding onto his glasses for dear life. “You know I don’t swim in speedos anymore...”  
  
Makoto peered out from his own stall. “Oh, but Rei, it’s so perfect for you! Look at the butterflies!”  
  
“Yes, I see the butterflies, but...” Rei turned to Makoto to explain why he would never wear the suit in a tournament.  
  
Rin leaned in to get a better look at how ridiculous the speedo looked. Of course, he remembered how Rei looked in a speedo from those times they had joint practice at Samezuka, but never with butterflies...  
  
As Rin looked harder, he began to notice that the speedo was not just small. It was...too small. For...certain parts of Rei’s body. The shape of Rei’s entire body was clearly visible, every curve and dip, even the bony parts of Rei’s hips. Rin could see where Rei’s toned stomach and abdomen gave way to the juncture of his....well, his groin, that was the term for it. Without even realizing, Rin followed the trail of Rei’s muscles downward, where the speedo just barely managed to cover a bulge that looked comically large from that perspective. Yet Rei stood tall and proud, not even bothering to try and cover himself. Some of the forced pride that they all knew so well.  
  
Rin could not look away. He could not even blink. Tracing Rei’s muscles and creamy skin with his eyes, he imagined what it would be like to feel him...to reach down to the hem of that swimsuit... In his mind, Rin had no hesitation, he wanted to feel that bulge in his hand, know how Rei fit into his grasp. He wanted to see the look on his younger friend’s face as Rin felt the outline of his most private part, teasingly on display for him now.  
  
Just the thought made Rin feel like the temperature in the store had gone up considerably. He unzipped his jacket a little, feeling himself break out into a sweat. In front of him, Rei had begun to turn sideways to face Makoto. As he turned, Rin bit his lip, waiting for the peripheral view of that speedo... Electricity coursed through his veins as Rin saw that the speedo was, in fact, not able to cover Rei’s considerable bulge from the side, and Rin had a clear view inside...  
  
Gasping and turning his face in embarrassment, Rin shut his eyes instinctively. Did Rei know he was...giving people a view like that? Definitely not. Rin wanted to run over and wrap his jacket around his friend’s hips to shield him from any onlookers.  
  
And yet...Rin found himself slowly opening an eye to look back over at the sight. By the time he could see Rei again, the younger boy had his back turned. Rin sighed in relief momentarily, before realizing that Rei was just as drop dead gorgeous from the back. Truthfully, Rin had never really stared at Rei’s back before, but now he saw that the blue-haired boy had a body indicative of all his training. His shoulder muscles rippled with strength, an athletic power that was almost betrayed by the slimness of his hips. Rei had hips that were meant to be grabbed, perfectly indented for a pair of hands. Rin imagined grabbing Rei like that...and then he looked downward just a little but more and saw the view of Rei’s rather attractive backside.  
  
The speedo did its work again: A large sparkling butterfly stretched out over the whole of Rei’s ass, wings glittering charmingly on either cheek. The butterfly’s body lined up exactly where Rin could see a crease... And then, Rei just happened to stand on his toes for a moment in exaggeration, causing his ass to...bounce slightly in response. Seeing that bounce, Rin bit down on his lip hard enough to hurt himself so that he would not make any noise.  
  
“Oh, it’s Rin-chan!”  
  
Nearly jumping out of his skin, Rin turned around to see Nagisa’s cheerful face. When the hell had that kid decided to show up---panic shot through him as he realized that Nagisa had seen what he was just doing.  
  
“Damn it, Nagisa, don’t sneak up behind me like that!” Rin said angrily, smoothing his hair back with one hand to gather himself.  
  
The strawberry-blonde boy giggled. “Ok, Rin-chan, but I wasn’t sneaking! I was just walking over to get some towels.” Nagisa leaned in with a whisper. “Now what are you doing here, Rin-chan?”  
  
Stuttering uncharacteristically, Rin answered, “I was just...looking at swimsuits...same as you guys.” He gestured to the suits on his arm.  
  
“Oh ok! We should have gone shopping together then. But...Rin-chan, you look flushed. Did you run here or something?”  
  
Rin looked away, humiliation hitting him at his core. “Uh, yeah, you know...training...”  
  
Nagisa smiled brightly. “Yup, I know! That’s nice.” His face straightened out into a slightly more serious expression. Nagisa dropped his voice down to a whisper again. “By the way, have you noticed, Rin-chan, that Rei-chan and Haru-chan have been spending a lot more time together?”  
  
“Uh, yeah, I...guess I noticed something like that...” Rin answered, rubbing the back of his neck in distress.  
  
“Well I have too!” Nagisa said, smiling mischievously. “Yesterday the two of them came home late together from a day at the beach. Just the two of them! Looks like they were having fun alone together until it was almost dark out...”  
  
Rin felt his jaw lock. He ground his sharp teeth together at the image of Rei and Haru holding each other in the water, kissing gently as the sun went down...  
  
“Yeah. I got to go, Nagisa.”  
  
Rin dumped his swimsuits onto the nearest shelf and shoved past his younger friend. Nagisa sputtered in response, asking something at Rin’s back as he stalked off. The older boy did not hear it, nor did he turn around to make some kind of excuse. He needed to get away, immediately.  
  
He did not stop walking until he was already out of the department store, out of the mall, sitting on a bench next to the bus stop that would take him and Gou home. Realizing he had clenched his fists, Rin slowly opened his hands and laid them on his lap. No surprise, his hands were actually shaking.  
  
Rin took a deep breath. He made a list of exactly what he was feeling. Panic, jealousy, a little bit of tingling excitement left over from seeing Rei like that. Anger. Yes, definitely anger.  
  
Yet, Rin had trouble pinpointing the source of his anger. He imagined Rei and Haru enjoying each other on the beach again. This time, Rin had to squeeze his eyes shut and shake his head hard to dislodge that surprisingly painful image.  
  
This was all so confusing. Rin knew he should have been happy for his friends. After all, he had agreed to help Rei get a chance alone with Haru and that had worked out perfectly!  
  
But still...  
  
That meant Haru was the one who would get to enjoy Rei’s fine, delicate body. He would get to experience all of Rei’s smiles and all his passionate care...  
  
Haru was too lucky. It wasn’t fair. He was the best swimmer in the prefecture, possibly in all of Japan. He looked so good when he was swimming that it made people fall in love with him and on top of it all...he had Rei’s love.  
  
“Damn you, Haru...” Rin said through clenched teeth.  
  
____________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Rin thought for a long time about what he should do. He spent a weekend thinking it through. He decided, begrudgingly, that it wasn’t right to hold anything against his friends. After all they had not actually done anything wrong. Rin was the one who had let himself get...caught up. Yeah, things got a little carried away on his part.  
  
But he told himself to stop acting like a little kid. If being together was what both Haru and Rei wanted then he had no choice but to step back and let it happen. That was the only fair, friend-like thing to do (even if it did irritate him to no end).  
  
Rin knew that Rei usually spent his Sunday nights training in the Samezuka pool. The younger boy had been doing this for months. So, Rin decided he would go and meet Rei at the pool to give him his blessing on the relationship. He would tell Rei that he was happy for him, that he had always known it would work, that he and Haru made a cute couple. Then, after that, he could wash his hands of the whole thing and pretend that it had never happened. Even if it meant that he would have to watch Rei and Haru holding hands at festivals, sharing secret glances now and then...but that was just fine.  
  
So, just as it became evening on Sunday, Rin went to Samezuka to wait for Rei. He wanted to be there first so that it looked like he was already at the pool and was not going there just for Rei or something...  
  
Rin went to the locker room and changed into his swimsuit. He walked into the swimming area and looked out at the surrounding neighborhood through the wide glass panels all around him. He loved this pool. Essentially, it was a big glass building that had planted itself into the surrounding environment. Rin thought that was cool.  
  
As he stared, he saw a figure jogging on the road. The person was wearing a full track suit, running with perfect form towards Samezuka. No question who it was, obviously it was Rei.  
  
Rin sighed and watched Rei jog. He had always known that Rei was a good runner, having been on the track team and coming into swimming with an already in-shape body. But Rin had never really watched him run before. Now, Rin took his time and took in the whole image.  
  
Rei moved with the practiced skill of someone in complete control over his body. And sure, the younger boy’s body was tight, his muscles flexed easily as he set them to work. But more than that, Rin was totally mesmerized by the look on Rei’s face. He still wore his glasses, of course, a very familiar look.  
  
However, his face wore an expression of complete stillness. He was not frowning, not straining, not sucking in breath like most runners that Rin had seen before. Instead, Rei’s face looked completely focused, like he had narrowed his whole plane of concentration down to the movements necessary for running. The wind cut around his body, ruffling his hair, but Rei seemed not to notice at all. Instead, he looked completely natural. It reminded Rin of how Haru looked in the water. This, clearly, was Rei moving in his natural habitat.  
  
Rin thought he looked breathtakingly beautiful. In fact, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Rin was so stupefied that it took him several moments to realize his cock had twitched to life and was pressing uncomfortably against his swimsuit...  
  
Not good. Not now! Rin heard the door slam and knew he didn’t have much time before he ran into Rei. Time to stop standing around like an idiot and do what he came to do. He threw himself in the pool. The cold water was enough to calm his body down a little (at least to get rid of any obvious evidence). Plus now he had enough water on himself that it would look like he had been practicing. Hesitantly, he pulled himself out and made his way to the locker room to talk to Rei.  
  
When he got there, Rei had his back to him. The younger boy had already put his running shoes in his locker and was wiping his face down with a damp towel. Rin gathered all of his courage, steeling himself to go ahead with his plan.  
  
“Rei.”  
  
The blue haired boy jumped and turned around with an undignified yelp. Their eyes met briefly in the dim light, night settling in around the pool. From that glance, Rin could feel so much tension in the air he had to glance away.  
  
Rei put his glasses back on, re-focusing. “R-rin-san! You scared...” He cleared his throat. “That is, I was not expecting to see you here.”  
  
“Yeah, you know, tournament’s coming up...” Rin rubbed the back of his head, telling himself not to look too hard at Rei’s body, not to notice the attractive way his track suit outlined his figure....  
  
“Yes, practicing is...important.” Rei readjusted his glasses.  
  
It was obvious they were both dancing around something. Rin was frustrated enough that he had to take action.  
  
“So. It looks like you finally got your chance with Haru, huh?” He forced himself to smile. “Congratulations, man.”  
  
Rei swallowed hard. “I...well, thank you...”  
  
Rin saw a faint look of sadness in the younger boy’s guarded expression. Confused, Rin said, “Guess you got what you wanted, right?”  
  
Silence. Night had officially fallen and the locker room had become uncomfortably dark. They knew the lights would turn on automatically once it got too dark, so they both just stood there.  
  
Rin was trying to think about what was going on in Rei’s mind. The boy certainly did not look happy, he did not look like he had gotten the boy of his dreams, he did not even look especially grateful. Rin blinked in the darkness and frowned.  
  
“And is...” Rei spoke in a soft voice, almost eerie in the dimness. “...is Rin-san happy that his plan worked?”  
  
“Well, I’m...” Was he just supposed to lie outright here? The words stuck in his throat.  
  
Suddenly, the lights turned on, covering everything in a soft yellow glow. They were both startled at first, until their eyes adjusted. Rin blinked in the light, seeing everything in the room much clearer now. Rei was standing before him, slightly flushed from the run and from their talk, the edges of his hair sticking to his neck. The younger boy looked decidedly awkward standing there, like he did not know what to do with his own weight.  
  
Then Rin realized, this was Rei! They were friends first and foremost, whatever weirdness was going on between them at the moment.  
  
“Honestly, Rei,” Rin said, staring hard into his friend’s eyes. “I just want you to be happy. I think that’s...all I wanted from the beginning.” He paused for a moment. Yes, that was true. “So, tell me. Are you happy, Rei?”  
  
Rei let go of his glasses. He took in a deep breath and sighed for a long time, letting go of a lot of the tension in his shoulders---so much that he slumped forward slightly. Then, he picked himself up and slowly raised his head to look back at Rin.  
  
“I think it’s time I was honest with you, Rin-san.” Rei had a look of painful determination in his eyes, but it was subdued. Rin found himself transfixed by the sight.  
  
Rei continued, “The truth is, when you saw me that day in the pool, I was not staring at Haruka-senpai. I was...staring at you.”  
  
A deep blush rose to the Rei’s cheeks. Rin felt himself growing hot all of a sudden.  
  
“When you confronted me about it, I wanted to tell you the truth, but...” Rei was staring at the floor. “Well, I was so afraid of what you would say. I knew it was...highly unlikely that you would return my feelings, so I just...let myself go along with what you were saying. It was wrong, I know, and I’m sorry. Lying is...” He closed his eyes. “...not beautiful.”  
  
A small grin crept onto Rin’s face.  
  
Rei kept going. “Then we went to the beach together and...I was going to tell you that day, Rin-san, after I went for a swim to steady my nerves. But when I got out of the water, you had already left.” Rei looked up at Rin curiously, clearly confused by that.  
  
Rin scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. That was his fault.  
  
“So, after you left, I had a long talk with Haruka-senpai about what I should do. He knew something was going on and so I told him everything. Haruka-senpai believed that I should just tell you how I felt. He said that even if you turned me down, which he admitted was probably going to happen, it would be better than lying because then I could say I was true to myself. He said being honest is like being free, in a way. And I had to agree.  
  
“But it...took me a while, Rin-san.” Rei’s face looked much more pained now, as if he was ashamed of himself. “I thought about calling you so many times. I even dialed your number once, but I just couldn’t go through with it. I’m sorry...for being so weak.”  
  
Rin opened his mouth to say something, but Rei was still talking.  
  
“So, I made a promise to myself that I would confess the next time I saw you. I guess...I did not expect it to be so soon, I did not know you would be here, but...there you have it. That’s the whole truth, Rin-san. It’s...always been you.”  
  
Rei swallowed and met Rin’s gaze with a small smile. He sighed. “It feels good to be honest, Haruka-senpai was right. And I know that you probably don’t feel the same way, especially now that you know I’m a coward and a liar but----”  
  
Rin had heard enough. Without thinking, he closed the distance between them and grabbed Rei’s hips. Before either of them had a chance to say something, Rin brought their lips together in a fierce kiss.  
  
Kissing Rei felt like diving headfirst into the deep end of an unfamiliar pool. It was Rin’s first kiss, admittedly. But, once he felt the softness of Rei’s lips, how they yielded to him.... Once he tasted Rei’s unique skin and saliva, feeling how very close their faces were, how their bodies were pressed together in a way that was so delicious it made Rin forget to breathe...  
  
Well. Once he felt all that, Rin found that he had always known what to do.  
  
They kissed for what felt like a while. Rei unconsciously put his hands on Rin’s shoulders, slotting himself up against his senpai so that Rin’s thigh was pressed between his legs. Rin wrapped his arms tighter around Rei’s waist, loving the way they had intertwined so quickly.  
  
Finally, they broke away from each other for air. This close, Rin could see every fleeting expression across Rei’s face. Confusion, surprise, a little bit of apprehension, and, oh yes, lust. Rin could tell that Rei was very turned on, just from that kiss and their sudden closeness.  
  
“R-rin-san...why did you...” Rei spoke barely above a whisper, running his hand across Rin’s cheek instinctively. “Why did you...do that?”  
  
“Because I wanted to.” Rin grinned wildly. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time. And I’m going to do it again.”  
  
So, he brought their mouths together again, this time moving his lips to give the kiss some action. Rei let out a shaky, almost inaudible moan and opened his mouth for Rin. The sound drove the older boy crazy. He started to run his hands up and down Rei’s sides, dying to touch him. He moved his tongue in and around Rei’s mouth, licking everything he could reach. His form was probably terrible, but Rei did not seem to mind.  
  
Eventually, Rei leaned his head back against the locker, fighting for breath. Rin took the opportunity to lay kisses against the tight, pale skin of Rei’s neck. This earned him another gasp from Rei, who wrapped his leg around Rin’s waist, locking them together.  
  
“S-so...you’re not...angry with me?” Rei managed to ask between breaths. “For letting you think that I was in love with Haruka-senpai---”  
  
“Stop.” Rin stroked his thumb over Rei’s lips to silence him. “I’m sorry, I just can’t hear you say his name anymore.”  
  
Rin claimed Rei’s mouth in another kiss. He tangled his hands in Rei’s hair, starting to bite impatiently at Rei’s lips. When he finally broke away, the red-haired boy let out a frustrated growl.  
  
He grabbed the front zipper on Rei’s track suit. “I need to see you,” he declared, slowly pulling the zipper down to reveal Rei’s bare chest.  
  
“B-but you’ve...seen me before...” Rei said, gasping.  
  
“This is different.” Rin unzipped the whole of front of Rei’s suit, pulling his arms out to slide it down his waist until the younger boy stood before him in nothing but his tight underwear.  
  
Rin took in the sight of an aroused, mostly naked Rei. He stroked Rei’s chest and stomach, kissing across his sternum. Rei had stuffed his knuckles into his mouth to stifle his moans, clearly very turned on by being exposed to Rin in this way. Delighted, Rin found that Rei’s nipples were already hard. He licked one experimentally.  
  
“R-rin!” Rei gasped, fist dropping from his mouth.  
  
Rin smirked. “What, no ‘san’ at the end?”  
  
“I-I’m, I’m sorry. Rin-san...” Rei looked legitimately apologetic.  
  
Laughing, Rin shook his head. “I’m just kidding,” he said, covering Rei’s nipple with his mouth. He spoke directly onto the sensitive skin, sucking and licking between words. “You can call me Rin when I’m doing this to you.”  
  
“Oh, Rin...” Rei said, grabbing a fistful of Rin’s hair while the older boy lapped at him. “That feels...so...I’ve never...”  
  
“Heh.” Rin popped off Rei’s nipple and looked up at his friend. “You like this, huh?” Smiling devilishly, Rin looked down to see the outline of Rei’s hard length straining against his underwear. “Yeah, I can see that you like this.”  
  
“Rin, I...” Rei twisted his hips in a feeble attempt to shield himself from Rin’s view.  
  
“Don’t be embarrassed, butterfly. Everything you do, every part of you, is beautiful to me.”  
  
“R-really?” Rei began to smile, unsure but very hopeful.  
  
“Oh, yeah. Do you know how crazy you’ve been making me? Couldn’t even think straight the past few days.”  
  
Rei moaned as he heard the truth. Rin smiled again and kissed Rei’s shoulder, licking the skin there and loving the taste of sweat. As he worked, Rin caught a whiff of a strong scent. He glanced down and realize it was coming from Rei’s armpit. Realizing that this was the hidden smell Rei wore deodorant to cover up, Rin grinned wickedly. Overjoyed, he pushed his face against Rei’s armpit to submerse himself in the scent.    
  
“R-rin! N-no, I’ve been running...”  
  
Rin breathed in deeply, inhaling the sharp, pungent smell. Something about it, the earthiness of it, so foreign coming from Rei’s body but so inherently natural... The scent went straight to Rin’s core and stirred up the rest of his love, making him almost dizzy with desire for Rei.  
  
“Like I said,” the older boy replied, turning to Rei, who looked like he might cry from embarrassment. “It’s all beautiful.”  
  
Rei stared at him, teetering on the edge of tears for a moment. Then, he swallowed to compose himself. He looked back at Rin with a smile. “Certainly my armpits are not beautiful,” he said light-heartedly.  
  
“They are to me!”  
  
Rin kissed his way down Rei’s chest, dropping to his knees in front of the younger boy. He was eye-level with Rei’s arousal---the perfect place to be in his opinion. His hands were shaking from anticipation (and a little bit of nerves, in all honesty). But, with a smile, he pulled down Rei’s underwear to expose his friend’s painfully hard, leaking erection.  
  
Slipping off the underwear so that Rei stood naked, Rin dragged his eyes over all of Rei, making sure to appreciate the sight that had driven him out of his mind the other day at the mall. It was so much better like this.  
  
Both boys were quiet, equally unsure of how they were acting. But Rin knew what he wanted and he was done holding back. He stroked the side of Rei’s cock, causing it to twitch as Rin looked on eagerly.  
  
“Rei...” Rin said, looking up. “You are so hot. I love seeing you like this.”  
  
He continued to stroke his friend’s cock, watching as Rei’s eyes began to close against the pleasure, head lolling back and forth. Rin’s mind was made up. He wanted Rei to lose himself completely in pleasure. He wanted to be the one that made Rei do that.  
  
Forgetting all inhibitions, Rin leaned forward and sucked Rei’s whole dick into his mouth. The younger boy tensed, fingers gripping painfully on Rin’s shoulders. But the redhead paid no mind. He started to move his head, letting Rei’s cock slide slowly in and out of his mouth. He licked along the ridges of his friend’s cock, wanting to feel every detail about Rei. Already he was loving the salty taste of Rei’s pre-cum.  
  
But Rei was uncommonly silent, Rin noticed. Swallowing the liquid in his mouth around Rei’s cock, he glance up to see if the younger boy was alright. He was greeted with the sight of Rei, eyes squeezed closed, body pushed hard against the locker. Rei’s mouth was hanging open, but no sound was coming out. Rin realized that his friend wasn’t even breathing. He looked absolutely tormented by pleasure.  
  
As hot as that was, Rin pulled off his friend in worry. “Rei, are you okay?”  
  
Rei let out his breath in a rush, gasping and panting.  
  
“You’ve got to breathe, butterfly. Just breathe.” Rin stroked Rei’s stomach with his fingertips, trying to help his friend calm down a little.  
  
“I-I’m sorry...” Rei said between gasps. “I...I can’t hold back...if I breathe then I’ll...”  
  
The blue haired boy trailed off, but Rin understood. Honestly, he didn’t want Rei coming that soon either.  
  
“Okay.” Rin got to his feet. As he stood, he felt his own painful hard-on constricted tightly in his swimsuit.  
  
He took a few steps back, making sure Rei could see as the boy worked on catching his breath. While Rei watched, Rin stepped out of his swimsuit. Now they were both on equal terms.  
  
Rei’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of Rin’s hard dick. It wasn’t that either of them were especially large, but seeing each other like this brought them to a new level of intimacy. It was an act of total honesty. They both wanted each other, that was obvious now.  
  
“Rei,” Rin said, starting to feel like he was about to lose it too. He walked over to Rei and held his face between his hands. “I can’t help it. I want you so bad....I want to go all the way right now.”  
  
Rei closed his eyes and nodded. He was smiling, but he looked hesitant. “Alright,” he said quietly.  
  
“Do you want me?” Rin asked.  
  
“Yes, I do.” Rei sounded more confident now. He opened his eyes slightly.  
  
Rin grinned, feeling his blooding pumping through his veins. “Then say it.”  
  
Rei looked back at him with a question in his eyes.  
  
“Tell me what you want me to do,” Rin answered, still grinning.  
  
“I want...” Rei said, starting to blush. He looked down. “Take me, Rin.”  
  
Well that was not good enough. Rin chuckled. “Take you where?”  
  
“You know what I mean...” Rei squirmed and held onto Rin tightly.  
  
“Yeah, but I want you to say it. I need to hear it.” That was the truth, Rin felt like he might die if he didn’t hear these words from Rei’s mouth.  
  
“A-alright....” Rei opened his eyes, looking up at his senpai with an unknowingly wanton expression. In a voice so soft Rin barely heard him, he said, “...fuck me, Rin.”  
  
Joy coursed through the shark-toothed boy. He thought he might come right then, or he would collapse from happiness. He looked up at the ceiling to contain himself, then looked back at Rei with a demon glint in his eyes.  
  
“Wow, you’re a dirty boy, Rei, asking me for something like that...”  
  
“Y-you told me to say it!” Rei squeezed his eyes shut, blushing fiercely.  
  
Rin laughed, pressing his face against Rei’s neck. “I know, I know. I’m just kidding around. It really turned me on, actually.” Inhaling more of Rei’s intoxicating scent, he continued, “I want you to say it again.”  
  
Rei, realizing that this was something his companion wanted (and internally knowing that he wanted it just as much), sighed with a smile. He pressed on in a louder voice.  
  
“Fuck me, Rin.”  
  
Growling, Rin grabbed Rei’s hips and flipped the boy around. His mind raced as he thought of the best way to do this.  
  
Frustrated, Rin slumped against Rei’s back. “I am literally about to fuck you against this locker, Rei. But...I think it might be better if you’re laying down...?”  
  
Fortunately, Rei was able to take control. He turned back around and walked over the bench in middle of the room. Straightening his glasses one more time, Rei put his palms onto the bench, bending forward to give Rin access.  
  
Seeing the object of his lust make himself ready for him, Rin bit his lip. He knew how to do this, in theory. Hands still shaking, Rin got some body lotion from the locker room medicine cabinet. He rubbed it all over his fingers, trying to decide how much would be enough.  
  
Rin stroked the small of Rei’s back, letting him know he was there. Then, slowly, he put slick fingers between Rei’s cheeks, searching for the hole there. Finding it was almost a surprise. Circling his friend’s opening carefully, Rin let Rei get used to the feeling. There was something incredibly arousing about this; Rin could feel his heart slamming against his chest, his dick twitching hard against his stomach, begging for contact. Unable to hold back, Rin pushed one finger inside Rei.  
  
Immediately Rei tightened. “You should relax,” Rin said, working his finger slowly deeper. “It’s just me, you know.”  
  
Still, Rei was extremely tight. No surprise there, honestly, Rin thought. But he needed a way to get Rin to relax.  
  
He bent over his friend, covering his exposed back with his body. Leaning against his shoulder, Rin whispered into Rei’s ear, “You know when I knew that I was in love with you?” Rei’s eyes were closed tightly, but at least he was breathing. “It was when we were on the beach. I probably loved you even before that, but, I didn’t realize it until we were sitting there. Haru was in the water and it was just you and me. The way you looked at me then, Rei...you were smiling, do you remember? It was the cutest, most sincere smile I’d ever seen. I was honored, Rei, that you would give me something like that.”  
  
Rei exhaled deeply, slowly loosening up. Rin pushed his finger as far as it would go. He moved it around experimentally, stopping once he felt Rei tighten his muscles again.  
  
“Yeah, I knew I loved you then. And after that, well, I just can’t stop staring at you. My eyes just follow you wherever you go, I can’t help it.” Rin kissed the side of Rei’s face affectionately. His friend was relaxing again so he put in another finger.  
  
This time, Rei let out a strangled, pained sound in response. Rin thought that maybe they should stop.  
   
“Tell me more...” Rei said softly. He leaned his head against Rin’s, opening himself as much as he could. “I want to hear more.”  
  
“Alright,” Rin answered. He started to slide his fingers back and forth a little, creating some friction. “You know, I was there that day when you guys were trying on swimsuits in the mall. I...saw you, Rei. You were wearing the most ridiculous speedo I’ve ever seen, the purple one with sparkly butterflies on it.”  
  
Rei snorted. “Nagisa-kun made me wear that...”  
  
Chuckling, Rin kissed Rei’s face again. “I know. But you looked...damn, Rei, you looked so fucking hot in it. I got a hard-on, right there in the mall, seeing you like that. That thing was way too small for you, I could see everything and...I wanted to touch you so badly...”  
  
Rei moaned suddenly. Rin found that his fingers were slipping in and out easily. He added a third finger.  
  
“I can’t believe you saw that,” Rei said, grinning sheepishly.  
  
“Yeah, I did. Sorry, though. I guess I was kind of being a creeper...”  
  
Rei shook his head. “No, it’s alright. I understand...” He moaned again when Rin started thrusting his fingers in and out with force.  
  
“Rin!” Rei shouted, looking at his senpai with urgency. “I’m ready. I want you to fuck me now.”  
  
Offering up a silent prayer in thanks, Rin positioned his hips behind Rei. Holding himself in one hand, the older boy pushed his leaking cock inside his friend, reveling in every sensation. Rei was warm and tight, but loose enough that Rin had room to fit himself in nicely. The redhead felt a push behind his eyeballs at the intense pleasure, very close to climax. He moved his hips a fraction, waiting to see if Rin had adjusted. The younger boy had no response.  
  
“How is it?” Rin asked, clenching his jaw tightly to restrain himself.  
  
“It’s...fine,” Rei said noncommittally.  
  
Rin groaned. He wanted to move so badly. “I don’t want ‘fine.’ I want you to feel good.” He held himself still for a moment then leaned forward, deepening their connection. Rei moaned and scrambled for purchase on the bench. “You tell me when it feels good, alright?”  
  
Rei nodded silently.  
  
The older boy put his hand on Rei’s backside, spreading his thighs wider to help. He gripped hard on the flesh there, remembering how tantalizing Rei’s ass looked in the speedo.  
  
“You know...” Rin began again. “I saw you before, when you were running over here. I was in the pool waiting for you and I just happened to see you jogging on the road....” He broke off with a groan as he slipped farther in. “...you were so...god, I don’t even know what to call it...you looked fucking amazing out there. So natural, so beautiful...”  
  
Rei started to moan. “R-rin...it feels good like that. Keep going...”  
  
Perfect. Rin smiled and let himself go. He started thrusting his hips in an out, pushing quickly, entering his friend roughly but unable to ease up any more. Rei moaned, even pushed back against him at times, thoroughly enjoying the rough fucking.  
  
“You are so good, Rei...” Rin was mumbling praise as he fucked him, sort of unaware what he was saying, but knowing that every word out of his mouth was the truth and was something that he wanted Rei to hear. “So good, so determined, so strong...the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen...I want you to be mine...”  
  
“I’m yours, Rin!” Rei screamed. “God, I’m yours! I’ve never loved anyone but you!”  
  
“Fuck yes, butterfly. Let me have you...” Rin only had a few more thrusts left in him, feeling himself rapidly approaching the edge.  
  
Rei tightened suddenly. “Rin! I’m...I can’t...control myself...I’m going to---”  
  
“That’s right,” Rin said, eyes rolling back in his head. “Come hard for me, Rei, I want you to---”  
  
In that moment, they both came only a few seconds apart. Rin rode out his climax deep within Rei, wrapping his hand around Rei’s cock possessively as the boy covered himself in cum. They held each other through each wave of climax.  
  
When it was done, Rin carefully pulled out. “Are...are you...okay?” he asked, collapsing into a sitting position on the floor.  
  
Rei was doubled over the bench. He let himself slide down, landing half in Rin’s lap, half on the floor. “Yes. I am...perfectly alright.” The glasses-wearing boy had his eyes closed, but his face wore the most contented expression Rin had ever seen on him.  
  
Wordlessly, the two fixed themselves so that Rei sat comfortably in Rin’s lap, leaning his body against his senpai. They stared at each other, feeling the importance of the thing they had just done.  
  
“Have you...ever done that before with someone?” Rei asked, stroking the side of Rin’s face.  
  
“Well, uh...” Rin stopped. What was the point of lying now? “No. I’ve never done that before. This was my first time.”  
  
Rei’s face broke out into a huge smile. “This was my first time too.”  
  
“Oh.” Rin blushed and looked away awkwardly. “Was it...okay?”  
  
Smiling, Rei pushed their foreheads together. He rubbed his face against Rin’s with a slow, delicate passion. “It was wonderful.”  
  
More than happy with that, Rin held onto his lover and laid down. Sure, they were laying on the locker room floor, naked and sticky with each other. But it was the most amazing thing Rin could ever remember feeling.  
  
Rei was his after all. He always had been.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The end.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay they're together now! Schmoopy love story with lots of sex. I will ship these two like it's canon (this is my actual head canon for them getting together, anyway.)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Splash free, guys :)


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